I could not put this book down!!!!
The story of Heidi and Nina two childhood friends who innocence is lost and no one there to protect them.
Such a sad story but a real page turner with so many different twists and turns.
It is so cleverly written and goes back in forth in time with adult Heidi trying to recall her memory and the story being told by Heidi as a child. Such a hard hitting book and sadly true in the world we live in but so well written you really can not put this book down.
This is the first book I have read by Rebecca Kelly but I will definitely be reading more of her books a very talented author.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

quite a surprise was not expecting that...was thinking a real good horror story...well it was a horror story just not quite what i had imagined....

a girl with no memory
an horrific event that sees one teenage girl dead and the other barely alive

but there is someone always around just waiting for that memory to come back

even though the subject matter is disturbing i found i couldnt quite put the book down and wanted to find out how it ended

brilliantly written and the characters and all their emotions were well researched...going to be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

A dark atmospheric psychological thriller that involves a cold case of a murder and an abduction. The survivor Heidi is suffering from loss of memory caused by her traumatic experience. D C Denise Gilzeen is like a dog with a bone with this unsolved case. Her dogged determination finally unearths the far reaching solution to this case and exposes some influential people. A great story but personally felt the end left some unanswered questions.

Child abuse is never a cheery topic and has been the subject of many a crime thriller and possibly getting a bit overused now.
However, I do think this book is a very good read and is one of the better ones at tackling the subject.
Told from several different view points and with flashbacks it relays the story of two friends who get caught up in a monstrous web of abuse kept hidden by fear and the fact that some of the perpetrators are police officers. Denise is a police officer who works on a cold case and is aided by Heidi , a victim who survived but suffered such horrific injuries she has had amnesia for years. Gradually Heidi's memories are coming back and there are people who are now very worried that the truth will out.
The book is very well written (and currently has very few errors in the text) and the characters are well developed. It starts fairly slowly but gathers pace towards the end. I am very pleased that Denise is freed from the usual stereotype of "breatharian, alcoholic, hooked on antidepressants, hooked on caffeine, heavy smoker with a dysfunctional relationship" so beloved of many writers. She is normal! Hoorah! To the author- please keep her this way- conscientious, hard working but does eat and sleep.
This book showed great promise. The author clearly knows how to build a story and tension to great effect. The ending.... well-I'm a sucker for something a bit more cheerful but in someways this was more appropriate and realistic but I did find myself asking a few questions.
I will definitely keep my eye out for more books by this author

In 2001 school girl best friends Nina and Heidi are attacked. Nina is murdered, Heidi is left for dead and Anna, Heidi’s seven year old sister is missing. When is badly injured and has no memory of the incident and cannot help police officers in the investigation. The trail goes cold and Anna has vanished. Detective Denise Gilzeen remains in touch with Heidi and in 2016 some fragmented memories begin to return. What unfolds reveals what some monstrous souls have kept hidden through manipulating their powerful positions to remain free from justice. The story is told mostly by Denise and Heidi in 2001 and 2016.

This is a very good debut which is well written, with a solid plot that keeps who guessing but which is plausible. The characters are well depicted with the friendship between Nina and Heidi one of the stand out elements. The angst of their youth comes across clearly with all their ups and downs and feels very real. Nina is easy to see with her sulky mood swings but she’s also fun. Anna is really sweet which makes her abduction unbearable. There are some very moving moments between the two girls where Nina’s desperation is palpable. Heidi’s survivors guilt, sense of betraying her best friend comes across strongly and is understandable.

This is a dark and gritty tale, with wicked crimes and a deepening mystery as time goes on. The storyline centres around a very difficult topic which the author manages deftly telling you all who need to know and no more and I like the restraint and care she shows in the writing. It’s a shocking tale but is never unnecessarily gratuitous. There are plenty of twists until these monstrous souls are unmasked and as the novel progresses you understand how they have got away with evil for so long. The book has tragedy, heartbreak, sadness, drama and shocks, frequently laced with tension and a fearful atmosphere. The conclusion is dramatic and although I had partially guessed some of it, this did not spoil a satisfying conclusion. I would however, have liked to know what happened to one of the key perpetrators from 2001 as this is not mentioned.

Overall, this is an impressive debut and a good dark thriller that is hard to put down. I’ll look forward to reading more by Rebecca Kelly in the future.

With thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for the ARC.

Good book. Well written. The story is good and kept me gripped throughout. I did occasionally find it hard to keep track of where I was but suspect that was my issue and not the plot.

This book had me gripped from the first few pages.....
Heidi is brutally attacked as a teenager, her best friend is murdered and her sister is taken.
The story jumps between before the attack and 15 years after the attack, when her memory starts to return, it also switches between characters - this is all really well done and it is easy to keep track of the story which has many interesting twists and turns.
Child abuse is mentioned within the story but this is handled very well, nothing is graphic and a lot is left to the readers imagination.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.

This was an utterly disturbing book that I couldn't put down. I went into this thinking that it would be about plain old murder and assault, so when it ended up being about human trafficking and child abuse I was a bit shocked. That's where the disturbing part comes in. It felt too realistic, too much like it could happen to anyone, and I felt genuine fear from that. The helplessness felt by the girls, the inevitability of what was going to happen to them, and the present day chapters where we see the consequences still play out all added to my uneasiness.

I didn't have fun while reading this book. It was too heavy for that. I was too busy being sad, scared, and horrified to have fun, but I think that's the point, no? This is the first adult crime/mystery/thriller type book I've ever read that didn't involve paranormal/supernatural elements, and it was a strong introduction to the genre. I kept reading because I just had to know what had happened to those little girls. I spent a good portion of the book assuming I knew what was going to be revealed at the end too, and I was thrown for a loop when that didn't happen.

I loved the twist. I was in no way expecting it, and the way it was handled was very moving and powerful in my opinion. I very nearly cried when the newly revealed person had to watch that tape - I was torn between anger at him for the horrific crime he committed and and unending rage at that awful man who abused him like that to the point where he could do something so terrible. It was heartbreaking.

The flashbacks paired with the dangers of the present events, plus that little sprinkling of an unknown POV who is very clearly out to get Heidi, all adds up into a very high-stakes mystery/thriller which kept me guessing even as I thought I knew the truth - and believe me, it's not what you may expect.

All in all, a fantastic debut novel, with a gripping story that really delves deep into the horrors of human trafficking and corrupt police systems

What an accomplished debut novel and I am already looking forward to more from this author. This really is a gripping and monstrous thriller. This book is really sympathetically written despite the challenging subject of the book which is what makes it such a good read.

Heidi was the victim of a viscous attack which left her with no memory of the attack or events leading up to it. When she comes around her sister is missing and her best friend is dead.. Over 10 years later she still has very little memory of the events but maybe now some of her memories are starting to come back. Will these memories be enough to uncover what really did happen that day? And will Heidi be able to live with the feelings that these new memories bring back?

This story is told through a series of flashbacks and real time events.

This was a promising story and I found that moving back and forth in time was well handled. I guessed quite early who the man behind the crimes was, and that I didn't mind, as I was still curious to see the plot unravel. What I really did not like, and this is the weakness in so many thrillers, is that the main female character who has been fearing for her life for so long, gets into a car with somebody she does not know, is taken to a place where she is about to meet her fate, and lo and behold is rescued in the nick of time. This is such a cliché of the genre. What a disappointing ending!

‘Monstrous Souls’ has some real strengths – it’s generally gripping, often moving and tackles a very challenging topic sensitively. Unfortunately it also has a fair number of weaknesses. At times it feels like there are gaps in the narrative and one of the central characters is plain dull. As a result I came away from it feeling somewhat dissatisfied. This is one of those books that probably could have been really good, but which falls just short.
The story is immediately attention grabbing and the first few chapters are really strong. The setup is that in 2001 three young girls are attacked. One dies, one survives and one goes missing. Heidi, the survivor loses her memory, but years later in 2016 she starts to regain it. Teaming up with Denise, a policewoman who investigated the case originally, she starts to unravel the mystery.
The book switches back and forth between 2001 and 2016, with the older parts all told in first person by Heidi. For the 2016 chapters author Rebecca Kelly takes a different approach, some are Heidi, some are about Denise and some a mysterious male character who goes unnamed until the end. The format works well and Heidi’s sections are really good as she slowly recalls the events of the past and pieces things together. I found Denise a much less interesting character, and that comes from someone who normally loves reading about cops. She lacks a distinct character or drivers and as a result is fairly dull to read. The mystery male is more interesting, with a story arc that’s one of the best things about the book. The gimmick of not releasing his name and deliberately leaving out details that would allow the reader to identify him does wear a bit thin after a while though.
The fact that the book is about child sexual abuse is fairly obvious early on, but fortunately the handling of the subject matter is sensitive and gives the book a real emotional impact at times. Unfortunately the mystery itself is less skilfully handled. Whilst I didn’t guess every detail the ending didn’t come as a big shock to me. In fact a lot of the tension comes from the overwhelming desire to see justice done rather than a need to solve the mystery. In a way that’s not a bad thing, there’s a horrible inevitability to events which suits the topic, but a few more surprises would have strengthened the book.

Monstrous Souls is a fast-paced, gritty and captivating read with an ending many will not predict. If you like to be constantly surprised as you read, then this is one to add to your reading list.

Monstrous souls by Rebecca Kelly was a surprise as I was expecting a murder mystery (I really should remember to recheck the synopsis of the books before reading them.) This was fantastic! An extremely well crafted storyline with characters I felt were well rounded and credible. Tense, hopeful and devastating! I think Rebecca’s success is evidenced in the understanding I had of why no one would risk telling what was going on (usually I’m so frustrated at the fairly weak reasons outlined in such storylines). Rebecca is definitely an author whose work I’ll be watching out for.

A fantastic debut from Rebecca Kelly. This novel is fast paced and gripping, I flew through it. Set across two time lines we follow Heidi as she starts to recover her memory after a horrific attack that leaves her best friend dead and her little sister missing. The story handles some quite dark material with care and the sense of distaste is implied without the need for gratuitous imagery which, I think, shows how skilled this writer is.

Although I worked out a few of the twists and turns quite early on it didn't detract from the story as it really captures you. If you're a fan of a thriller this one is for you.

Thank you to Agora books and @netgalley for this ARC. This is due for publication 25/06/2020


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A really impressive debut novel. I never read the blurb, just saw the cover and I am so glad I did. A very gritty psychological thriller dealing with a subject matter that is distasteful. Set in two time periods 2001 and 2016. How a girl tries to remember what happened on that fateful day and someone who needs to silence her for good. As I said before the subject matter is very dark but this author treats it with dignity and respect. A powerful and emotive read which broke my heart in the last chapter. I have never read a book quite like this before and Heidi, Nina and Anna will stay in my thoughts long after I have turned the last page. I can't wait to read what this author does next. A well deserved five stars and so Highly Recommended.
Thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book. I have been sent a copy of this book for review purposes. This has not influenced or affected my opinions in this review.

Monstrous Souls is a well-written and fact paced novel that I think any thriller fan will want to sink their teeth into. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I was hooked from the first sentence right up until the surprise ending with a final twist you won’t see coming. So many emotions were conjured with this read. If you’re a fan of thrillers and crime, you will enjoy this book!

*4 stars*

ARC from NET GALLEY

Heidi Bevan wakes up and you can guess the rest. This story line is just done or over done, or has been done, or should not be done anymore. Nothing new here

This book was pretty interesting, told from three different perspectives and two different times as the main character struggles to regain her memory of what happened to her. While it was a little predictable, I also cared about the characters and while not a happy ending at least the loose ends were tied up.

now this book is a must read Heidi has lost her memory her best friend was murdered her sister was taken .but what happened and why cant Heidi remember . but little bits are coming back why did her best friend runaway why does somebody want Heidi dead what happened how all the pieces come together is just brilliant i cried .

Monstrous Souls is the debut psychological thriller by author Rebecca Kelly and if you’re after a pacy page-turner this is definitely for you!
Fifteen years ago, Heidi was subjected to a brutal attack that left her best friend dead and her little sister missing. Robbed of her memory, Heidi has always been frustrated by her inability to recall what happened, but now fragments of that fateful day have begun to return to her. With Heidi desperate to discover the truth, the police agree to reopen the puzzling cold case, but Heidi soon realises that examining her past will place her in peril in the present.
Kelly bravely tackles difficult themes here, but does so with huge sensitivity and care. Her elegant prose elevates this thriller above many of its peers and with a simple line she can land a blow that leaves you reeling - indeed throughout the book, it is these understated moments that convey the true horror of the events with greater impact than any gratuitous detail might, She deftly captures the raw emotions of those involved, and expertly portrays Heidi’s awful dilemma of wanting to remember, but being afraid to do so - especially as the part she played in the unfolding tragedy begins to emerge. With a twist you won’t expect and an end scene that might break your heart, this debut novel is one well worth reading!